Bonsai Forum

TOPIC: Another Price Assessment (Acer Palmatum)

So, last week a member of my club wanted to sell a tree and I´m assessing the idea of buying it. In any case, before making up my mind I wanted to know this forum opinion regarding its price directly related to this tree´s features. It is an Acer Palmatum, don´t know the exactly cultivar as the owner didn´t know either. Still, possibly an Atroporpureum or Dissectum variety due to its leaves color. He´s had this tree for the past 5 years and it is in good health. Now, I already have this tree with me, but I haven´t decide yet if I´m keeping it... So, any help would be really appreciated... Oh, and the current price of this tree is 50 euros.

Thank you all in advance,

Alain

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The hard part would be that I´ve never attempted something like this before and the fact that I´ll need a relatively well developed sappling to do this only makes it harder.

Auk wrote: - Reverse tapering

Here I´m going to have to disagree... I see no reverse tapper on this tree... In any case and at the most a lack of appropriated tappering. I mean, is true that the tapper´s slope is light to non existent, but again... I see no reverse tapper whatsoever

Auk wrote: - troublesome branches;
Fixing these problems will be hard and leave large wounds (lowest branch and remains of the old top)

Agreed... Branching and ramification needs to be improved. For instance, there is a lack of a strong rear branch and in some branches, internode distances seem to be too big. Yes, this is something I might have to tackle if I do decide to keep the tree.

Auk wrote: For 10 euro I might consider it.

Ha... I´d like to keep it for that price too, but is fair to say that it might be impossible. For instance, here are a couple of specialized sites in Spain that sell trees... You´ll see there several Acers way more underdeveloped than this one that are actually sold at higher prices:

m5eaygeoff wrote: I would not turn it down, yes it might need some work, but that is the name of the game. Depends on the price but why not?

Yep, I keep moving this idea from one side of my brain to the other. I feel its price is not excessively high according to Spain prices on Acers. Also, I think I might be getting to emotional about this tree, because I love the color change that all year long these trees are capable of putting up with. Again, I´m trying to contrast all of this things against the amount of work and patience this tree might take in the future... Because as you just wrote... That is the "name of the game"

Thanks Geoff,

Alain

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Fr me, the only thing this tree has as a feature is the color of the foliage. Do not buy it, for the things Auksaid.

You consider this reasonably well developed. But..

- In order to create a new nebari, you need a lot of top growth, resulting in unusable branches
- To close the wound you need a lot of top growth. Se previous..
- The branches that are there have very long internodes, particularly near the trunk: You will need to rebuild those
- The branches are all made from straighsegments, and in time this will start to bother you.

The tree really is not all that good. I do not have atropurpuream, but I do have airlayers of last year in my growing bed that are further with regards to nebari & trunk, which I would not dare ask money for..

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Hi LB and welcome back to the forum... I believe some of us might be missing your advices already

leatherback wrote: Fr me, the only thing this tree has as a feature is the color of the foliage.

True. I must acknowledge the fact that Acers´s colors are simply incredible. Colors that I constantly miss in my small "collection" of someday, somehow we´ll be a reasonable bonsai trees.

leatherback wrote: You consider this reasonably well developed. But..

- In order to create a new nebari, you need a lot of top growth, resulting in unusable branches
- To close the wound you need a lot of top growth. Se previous..
- The branches that are there have very long internodes, particularly near the trunk: You will need to rebuild those
- The branches are all made from straighsegments, and in time this will start to bother you.

The tree really is not all that good.

Thanks a lot... Understood!

Alain

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